Cardinal Pell: Synod says no to 'secular agenda'

[McCall1981]

catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1404281.htm

Cardinal Pell: Synod says no to 'secular agenda’

By Francis X. Rocca
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Cardinal George Pell said working-group reports from the Synod of Bishops on the family finally give a true picture of the assembly’s views, counteracting what he characterized as a misleading midterm report.

“We wanted the Catholic people around the world to know actually what was going on in talking about marriage and the family and, by and large, I think people will be immensely reassured,” Cardinal Pell, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, told Catholic News Service Oct. 16, the day the reports were published.

“We’re not giving in to the secular agenda; we’re not collapsing in a heap. We’ve got no intention of following those radical elements in all the Christian churches, according to the Catholic churches in one or two countries, and going out of business,” he said.

(Read the rest there)

 

[Lormar]

Cardinal Pell said only three of the synod’s 10 small groups had supported a controversial proposal by German Cardinal Walter Kasper to make it easier for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion, even without an annulment of their first, sacramental marriages.

“Communion for the divorced and remarried is for some – very few, certainly not the majority of synod fathers – it’s only the tip of the iceberg, it’s a stalking horse. They want wider changes, recognition of civil unions, recognition of homosexual unions,” Cardinal Pell said. “The church cannot go in that direction. It would be a capitulation from the beauties and strengths of the Catholic tradition, where people sacrificed themselves for hundreds, for thousands of years to do this.”

“If people are heading in the wrong direction, there’s no virtue in the church saying ‘that’s good.’ A lot of people outside won’t accept our views, won’t welcome them, but certainly not the people in the pews, the good people,” he said.

 

[Lormar]

“Our task now is to ask people to pause, to pray, to catch their breath, to realize there’s going to be no abandonment of Catholic doctrine, and to work to diminish the divisions and to prevent any radicalization of different factions or points of view,” he said.

 

[McCall1981]

Cardinal Pell said only three of the synod’s 10 small groups had supported a controversial proposal by German Cardinal Walter Kasper to make it easier for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion, even without an annulment of their first, sacramental marriages.

 

[LordHaveMercy]

This is so amazing to read!!! I think most of us knew deep down this was true but it’s so reassuring to hear it said by one of the Cardinals.

 

[gilliam]

Cardinal Pell said only three of the synod’s 10 small groups had supported a controversial proposal by German Cardinal Walter Kasper to make it easier for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion, even without an annulment of their first, sacramental marriages.

I didn’t think that was even in the cards. Leading up to the synod they were talking about making the annulment process more streamlined, not avoiding it.

 

[Seamus_L]

At the same time though it tells us that we have some men in high positions who hold disturbing views. Not that that’s anything new.

 

[Lormar]

This is the hard part:

"…to work to diminish the divisions and to prevent any radicalization of different factions or points of view."

 

[LongingSoul]

I didn’t think that was even in the cards. Leading up to the synod they were talking about making the annulment process more streamlined, not avoiding it.

I posted this on the other thread too, written by Cd. Kasper in the September lead up to the synod. The Card. didn’t actually suggest scrapping the annulment process but merely raised the issues at hand. Pope Francis picked him to do that job.

What such reflections mean for the question of divorced and remarried Catholics is now under discussion in advance of the forthcoming Synod of Bishops. I do not have a final answer on this question. It is the responsibility of the synod together with the pope to make these decisions. In my last consistory with the pope, however, I did with his agreement propose some modest reflections on this urgent issue.

No theologian, not even the pope, can change the doctrine of the indissolubility of a sacramental marriage. On the contrary, we all have reason to help and support people to be faithful to marriage for their own good and for the good of their children. So doctrine cannot be changed and will not be changed. But doctrine must be applied with prudence in a just and equitable way to concrete and often complex situations. For these situations are very different. There is no one typical case of divorce and remarriage; therefore there cannot be one standard solution for every situation. Discernment is needed, and discernment, prudence and wisdom are the main virtues for a bishop as a pastor. The best cannot always be done, but we should always do the best possible.

americamagazine.org/issue/message-mercy

In that light, Card. Pell is just saying that that conclusion ie. scrapping the need for annulment… was not on the cards.

 

[McCall1981]

As good as this news is, I definitely don’t think this ends the issue.

I think it’s very likely that the concluding document will leave the issue open for “more study” and we’ll be treated to another year of campaigning, and then have to do this all over again next Oct.

And then wait and see if the Pope even accepts the Synod’s proposals

 

[LordHaveMercy]

As good as this news is, I definitely don’t think this ends the issue.

I think it’s very likely that the concluding document will leave the issue open for “more study” and we’ll be treated to another year of campaigning, and then have to do this all over again next Oct.

And then wait and see if the Pope even accepts the Synod’s proposals

Yeah but next October is 365 rosaries away!

 

[PTL]

Pay attention to Cardinal Pell’s statement:

“A major absence was Scriptural teaching,” he said. “A major absence was a treatment of the church tradition,” including teaching on the family by Pope Paul VI, St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

“The secret for all Catholic vitality is fidelity to the teachings of Christ and to the tradition of the church,” said the cardinal, who sits on the nine-member Council of Cardinals advising Pope Francis on church governance.

Cardinal Pell said only three of the synod’s 10 small groups had supported a controversial proposal by German Cardinal Walter Kasper to make it easier for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion, even without an annulment of their first, sacramental marriages.

"Communion for the divorced and remarried is for some – very few, certainly not the majority of synod fathers – it’s only the tip of the iceberg, it’s a stalking horse. They want wider changes, recognition of civil unions, recognition of homosexual unions," Cardinal Pell said. “The church cannot go in that direction. It would be a capitulation from the beauties and strengths of the Catholic tradition, where people sacrificed themselves for hundreds, for thousands of years to do this.”

“If people are heading in the wrong direction, there’s no virtue in the church saying ‘that’s good.’ A lot of people outside won’t accept our views, won’t welcome them, but certainly not the people in the pews, the good people,” he said.

For those who tried every way to say Cardinal Kasper did not advocate for homosexual unions, read the bold part above. Cardinal Pell who is in the synod said it clear -** they want recognition of homosexual unions. ** So, for Kasper fans, stop disguising for Kasper.

The good thing to know is 3/4 of the synod Fathers are still holding to the Church’s teaching. Although it is extremely sad both some cardinals and laity are trashing Jesus’s teaching and want Church to recognize sinful homosexual behavior. I wonder where is the exam of conscience? Knowing homosexual is against Jesus’ teaching but still advocate it?

 

[Sirach2]

Pay attention to Cardinal Pell’s statement:

For those who tried every way to say Cardinal Kasper did not advocate for homosexual unions, read the bold part above. Cardinal Pell who is in the synod said it clear -** they want recognition of homosexual unions. **So, for Kasper fans, stop disguising for Kasper.

The good thing to know is 3/4 of the synod Fathers are still holding to the Church’s teaching. Although it is extremely sad both some cardinals and laity are trashing Jesus’s teaching and want Church to recognize sinful homosexual behavior. I wonder where is the exam of conscience? Knowing homosexual is against Jesus’ teaching but still advocate it?

Here we go again. Where’s the evidence that Kasper is advocating homosexual behavior??? Nothing of the sort in the article you linked to identifies anyone in particular. There is absolutely nothing in his book that even mentions it. He is NOT advocating any position whatsoever, but has merely presented, (as having been asked by Pope Francis) a few questions when he addressed the consortium. He posed these for their consideration to ponder when they deliberated at the Synod. Nothing too surprising here, as it is done by many speakers to encourage discussion.

 

[LongingSoul]

Pay attention to Cardinal Pell’s statement:

For those who tried every way to say Cardinal Kasper did not advocate for homosexual unions, read the bold part above. Cardinal Pell who is in the synod said it clear -** they want recognition of homosexual unions. ** So, for Kasper fans, stop disguising for Kasper.

The good thing to know is 3/4 of the synod Fathers are still holding to the Church’s teaching. Although it is extremely sad both some cardinals and laity are trashing Jesus’s teaching and want Church to recognize sinful homosexual behavior. I wonder where is the exam of conscience? Knowing homosexual is against Jesus’ teaching but still advocate it?

Unless you are able to specifically quote Cardinal Kasper regarding homosexual unions, I don’t think that proposal came from him? Cardinal Pell was addressing issues raised by “very few, certainly not the majority of synod fathers”.

I’m not a “Kasper fan”. I’m advocating for abandoning this factional propagandizing altogether.

 

[Calhoun]

We all need to remember what Cardinal Timothy Dolan has been emphasizing this week in his Sirius/XM broadcasts from Rome *:

“First of all, a synod can’t change doctrine. Nobody can. And a synod is more conversational. I mean, if the Holy Father wanted to give serious consideration to some point of established Church doctrine or discipline, it would take an Ecumenical Council to do that. This is more bishops getting together to speak about pastoral challenges. So to change doctrine is not part of our agenda.”*

 

[McCall1981]

We all need to remember what Cardinal Timothy Dolan has been emphasizing this week in his Sirius/XM broadcasts from Rome *:

“First of all, a synod can’t change doctrine. Nobody can*. And a synod is more conversational. I mean, if the Holy Father wanted to give serious consideration to some point of established Church doctrine or discipline, it would take an Ecumenical Council to do that. This is more bishops getting together to speak about pastoral challenges. So to change doctrine is not part of our agenda.”

An Ecumenical Council?

Shhhhhhh, don’t give them any ideas…

 

[Sirach2]

Unless you are able to specifically quote Cardinal Kasper regarding homosexual unions, I don’t think that proposal came from him? Cardinal Pell was addressing issues raised by “very few, certainly not the majority of synod fathers”.

I’m not a “Kasper fan”. I’m advocating for abandoning this factional propagandizing altogether.

**AMEN! **

 

[Sirach2]

We all need to remember what Cardinal Timothy Dolan has been emphasizing this week in his Sirius/XM broadcasts from Rome *:

“First of all, a synod can’t change doctrine. Nobody can*. And a synod is more conversational. I mean, if the Holy Father wanted to give serious consideration to some point of established Church doctrine or discipline, it would take an Ecumenical Council to do that. This is more bishops getting together to speak about pastoral challenges. So to change doctrine is not part of our agenda.”

If you are speaking about Revelation, then yes - it cannot change. However, the application of that doctrine can develop, and the Pope, by his Motu Proprio can issue a ruling independent of any Council, as Pope Benedict did in S.P. with regard to the TLM mass.

 

[1newcatholic]

“If people are heading in the wrong direction, there’s no virtue in the church saying ‘that’s good.’ A lot of people outside won’t accept our views, won’t welcome them, but certainly not the people in the pews, the good people,” he said."

What an interesting way of dividing up the world–the good people are those already attending the Catholic church, while everyone else is… what, exactly?

 

[RosslynV]

Pell is like the guy from movie Animal House, yelling “all is well, all is well”. He then gets stampeded!